Combined gas-lever case and stand or mounting for colt-type automatic guns.



H. R. NORTHOVER.

COMBINED GAS LEVER CASE ANDSTAND OVR MOUNTING FOR CDLT TYPEAUTOMATIC.GNNS. APmcm'oN man mns 19. 191s.

1,237,083. PafenfedAug. 14,1917.

H. R. NORTHOVER.

COMBINED GAS vLEVER CASE AND STAND 0H MOUNTING FOBICOLT TYPE AUTOMATICGUNS..

APPLICATION FILED .IUNEI91 I9I6.

1,237,083 .Patented Aug. 14, 1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

c# C C' C3 I 53 d 65 6'/ O A O M @ff/2@ H. R. NORIHOVER.

COMBINED GAS LEVER CASE AND STAND OR MOUNTING FOR CO'LT TYPE AUTOMATICGUNS. APPLICATION F|LED1uNl9. |9Ie.

H. R, NORTHOVER. COMBINED GAS LEVER CASE AND STAND 0R MOUNTING FOR COLTTYPE AUTOMATIC GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I9 1916. 1,237,083.

Patented ug. 14, 1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

, 5 il 'fo o L' 0?@V Mara f@ fa @fr @0]v 'UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

HARRY ROBERT NoETIfIOvER, OE WINNIPEG7 MANITOBA, CANADA.

COMBINED GAsLEvEE cAsE AND STAND on MOUNTING EOE COLT-TYPE AUTOMATIC`VGUNs."

Specification of Letterslateiit. Patented Aug. 14E, 1917.

Application led .Tune 19, 1916. Serial No. 104,530.

:To all whom t may concern y Be it known that I, HARRY ROBERTv NORTH- iOVER, subject of the King of Great Britain,

residing at 217 Graham avenue, Vinnipeg, Manitoba, in the' Dominion ofCanada, have invented certain new and useful Combined Gas-Lever Casesand Stands or Mountings for Colt-Type Automatic Guns, of which thefollowing is a specification.

Automatic or machine guns of the cColt type embody a gas-operated lever(technically known as the gas-lever) which is pivoted underneath, andswings below, the muz- Azle end of the barrel, and is adaptedy totransif the lever should be fouled by falling earth,

displaced sandbags or the like, the automatic .action of the gun isstopped until such time that the obstruction has been removed. In otherwords, the gun can only operate automatically in positions where properworking clearance for the gas-lever can be provided and maintained, andfor this reason its geni eral utility or adaptability under activeservice conditions is somewhat restricted.

In order to obviate or 'remedy this disadvantage and to enable the gunto be aimed,

.traversed and fired through loop-holes, be-

tween sand-bags, over trench-parapets or in other confined positionswithout possibility of the gas-lever being obstructed, it is-proposed,according to the present invention to apply to or embody in a Colt lorlike gun, an attachment or fitting which serves as a case or cover forthe gas lever and may also form a part of, or be associated or combinedwith, a folding or collapsible standy or mounting that is transportablebodily vwith the said gun and provides for the supporting of the same onthe fmuzZle-pivoted princi ple when in action.

In the accompanying drawings I have shownthe preferred form of carryingout my invention as applied to a combinationattachment which embodies agas-lever .case and a collapsible stand or attack-tripod for use inconnection with a Colt gun.

Figure l is va sideelevation of the said attachment, showing theleg-,members of the standy secured in their folded positions against thesides of the gas-lever case-to lfacilitate transport. Y' f Fig. 2 is anendelevation of the same.

Fig. Sis a longitudinal vertical section of the attachment, taken on thedotted i Fig. 8. l i c Fig. 4 is another end view, similar to Fig. 2,but the upper part of the attachment is shown in section on the dottedlineal, Fig.

k3, and the view also illustrates how the legs of the stand are adaptedto .automatically extend or swing outward, when the fastenings whereby`they are normally -secured against thevslides of the lever-case aredisline ai,

engaged.

Fig. 5 lis a `plan view, partly in section, ofv

the connection between the -leg members of the stand and the top of thecase.

Fig. 6 is a side'elevation of thevattachment and Fig. 7 is an end view,showing the legsof the stand extended into their. gunksupportingpositions. Fig. 8 is a plan of Fig. 7. Fig. 9 isa detail view of one ofthe legfastenings partlyv in section on the dotted line m2, Fig. 7 andFig. 10 is a: detail section on the dotted line'ae3 Fig. 6. j

v The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in theseveral lfigures of the drawings.

In the construction shown in these figures, the gas-lever cover partofthe attachment consists ofy a flat-sided metal box or case a which isadapted tobe detachably` fitted or `secured belowy the'front partsy ofthe barrel and body ofthe gun so that it will completely inclose thegas-lever. The body of the. case is semi-circular in elevation, its

edges being curved to a radius struck from the center of the gas-leverpivot,while its width and depth are such as will admit of the gas-leveroscillating freely therein; thek dimensions andweightlof the said lbodybeying, however, kept as as possible-consistent with the said leverhaving sufficient Aworking clearance.

' ThisV gas-lever case may be'deta'chablyan? .chored ,on secured tothegunby any-convenient means which" will"provide a rigid or y immovableconnection between the two, but infthe preferred constructionrepresented in y the drawings, the top of the said caseis furvnishedwith a lid or hoodb which is hinged i A along one side and is adapted t0embrace or clipoveiwthe'front part of the-barrel ofthe gun g the edgeofthe said lid `farthest from the f-hinge b1- being provided with springcatches J22- that snapf-into `suitable engagements-1n the'corresponding' side fof* the casebody whenthe A'lid 'is closed over thebar-rel,

but can be forced outlofsuchv engagements "by using-the nose of acartridge-'bullet -or f-'thehlile asia lever when it is required toVdismount the attachment from -thefgun.=- V The hanged ends b3, b? ofthis -lidare shaped at y andthe rearendofftheb'ody ofthe-box alsov ,isshaped-to fit` under the lframefofftheigun;

suitable vent-holes being formed in the lid (if necessary)f inf-thebox-#body to :admit air fo`1"cooling'tlielinclsed'vpart of the-barrel,IandI also to provi-de' for Itheffree escape fofithe powder'gases* thatyare discharged through fthe'f-barrel--vent rinto `thelinterior `of fthesaidbcmwhenthexgun-isiiringr lAclearthrough.

.anceis also :made lat t? inthe rear of theboX for the gas-'leverconnecting-link to work To obviate f' any1, lpossibility 4of, theattachmentibeing displacedlin the direction ofthe length of thel-gun,eith eror both flanged i ends hind or 'between lcertain-fofthecoolingo'r 4radiating webs ofl theV barrel-'of [a Colt, gun,

, while angular or lateral displacementisfrendered impossible by 'theffa'ctL that [the :upper sidesfandrear end ofthebody ofthe box-are made?to'iseat'y uponffor embrace the squaresectioned or fiat-sided fore:endfof the gunbody; and in addition, the`v `box 'may be: providedwithstuds or similar positive'anchering V'devices whichbarefv adaptedIto: engage 'holesf' or recesses in i the bottom-plate v lof the gun, v

Thrisfthe gas-leven case, when attached or secu-red "fastening-s 'suchas above desoribed ,v isrigidly anchoredw against y 'inovef fnienti -injan)7| I directionIl relatively? -to the gun, and-completely incl-dosesthe gas-'lever at lall pesi-tions of thelatter.; Thefgun canthere-[fore-be set unter-firing `in practicallywany conceivable? position-orsituation,I for 4as lthe fdepth of .the L attachment (as i designedfor a Coltgun)`l is` only approximately six inches measured i fromthe.under-side of the bottom yplate tofthebottomcf'ithe case,vwhilei its fV`width bis the. samer gas' that' of the gun itself,

legs or struts which-when extended` the depending box occupiesor takesup only Va minimum of space below the muzzle end of the barrel. Further,the attachment does len not 4add materially to the weight of the gun sothat it can be left in position onthe latter without aecting itsvportability,f`and itV does not interfere with the firing of the weaponv.fromaan ordinary tripod or likemounting.

Moreover, the attachment positively ob-r` via-tes anyliabi'lity of thegas-lever being ,fculedfor obstructed when the gun is in action, whileit doesf-not"detrimentally V"affect the `normal' rate of-firefortheaction of the gunfin any way.

` An additional andl 'importanti advantage offth'ecase -is that it canbe `readily associ- -ated'o'r combined with-a foldingor/collapsible`stand arrangement'.*which, provides a muzzle-pivot mounting f wherebyfthe gun `to which thesaidcasefis attachedcanbe y quickly 'set upxorbrought into vaction and elevated, depressed, traversed and firedwithoutthe aid ofv the yusualI service 'tripod or suppe-rt.' 'Toprovidevvfor this, the caseis coinbinedwvith'an arrangement of jointed willadequately 'support thei-y muzzle end fof: -the gun through the mediumof the y attached case, and willy'et admit' of'a gunnerele'vating,depressingvortraversing thefgun'by correspondingly lowering, raising-orlaterand sapported by the gunners hands when the gun is: being-aimed andtired.y I

According 'to the preferred formv of vthe stand arrangement whichfisrepresented iin the/drawings, thewgas-lever case is perinanentlycombined-with a system-0f 'ffo-lding or collapsible legs'to which thegunis lpeinkdu'louslyv connectedthrough the medium rof the? said caselin `such a manner that theysuspended Igun is capable `vof universalmove- Ainent :relative tothe stand when lthe latter iseX-tended orerected for use. The said gun i can thuswbefv-elevated; depressed andtravjersed oritrained with the greatestease yand *rapidity oni-movingtar-gets, whilethe stand part of l'thewarrangement provides an ad- ,954ally swinging the breech end, lwhich is kheld members lie: closely:4against` the sides of the `gas-"level"case so that the! gun and itsmount` ing can 1=be=` readily `transported or carried into oroutofaction by a singlehman ,ftherei.

by `greatly facilitating the use of Colt-type machinelgun'sforusupporting infantry at- Y tacks, or for consolidating'captured'po'si- Ations owing to the fact that a gun to which theattachment is applied can be easily car- -ried forward with theattacking troops and ltop cover or lid' b of the lever-case which Icloses over the barrel of the gun is connected with a transverse bar orcross piece c which constitutes a member of the stand or mounting and towhose opposite extremities, the upper ends of avpair ofangularly-advjustable, legs or struts CZ, Z1 are hinged in such a mannerthat they can either be folded flat against the opposite sides of thecase as shown in Figs. l and 2, or spread outward to any suitable angle(within certain limits) relative to the -said sides as shown in Figs. 6,7 and 8. The case (together with the gun to which the case is attached)is thus hung from the'upper cross piece and between the two folding andadjustable legs, and in order to insure that the said case and ygunshall always hangin a vertical plane when the stand is erected,irrespective of the angles which the legs or struts themselves assume,and also to enable the .case and gun to be moved in any direction for-elevating,depressing or traversing purposes,

the connections between the case and the cross-piece and also betweenthe cross-piece and the lugs are preferably constructed in the followingmanner: A circular opening e is formed in th top-lid or cover b of thecase, and is fitted .with a freely-rotatable disk or turn-table e1`.which carries a pair of headed studs e2 (Figs. 4 and 5) that engagewith curved slots e3 formed in a plate e4 which is xed inside the saidlid I), underneaththe said opening e, this arrangement constituting ajoint whereon` the case may be swiveled soy as to swing horizontally ineither direction (and over a wide angle of movement) relative to thecross-piece c. Thus, when the stand is erected, this swivel connectionallows the gunner to freely traverse the gun by moving the breech endlaterally to the right or left; the whole stand meanwhile remainingstationary or rigid.

l The above-mentioned disk or turn-table e1 said gun will normally hangin a vertical planewhen the stand is erected, irrespective of the anglesin whichl the adjustablelegs are jointed; the horizontal pivots 04 ofthev said lugs constituting fulcra whereon the said case may be swung ina vertical plane to admit of the elevation or depression of the gun.Thus, the swiveling connection e, el between the case and thecrosspiece.

of the stand and the horizontal pivots o4 between the cross piece andthe lugs 03 together constitutev a universal joint system that enablesthe suspended or pendulouslyhung gun to be freely moved in any direc--tion relative to the stand c, d, d1, for traversing, elevating ordepressing the said gun as mayI be required. rlfhe pivot-studs c4..whereby the upper ends ofthe folding and adjustable legs d, d1 arejointed to the lugs c3, are disposed at right angles to 'the pivotsconnecting the said lugs with the cross-piece c, and suitable stops-(such as cl3) are embodied in these legjoints for limiting the outwardangular' movement or lateral spread of the said legs.

To enable the mounting, when extended, to stand up against recoil andother firing shocks transmitted in the direction ofthe longer axis ofthe gun to the. upper part ofl 'the said mounting each leg is furnishedwith a U-shapedor double branched foot f; the two feet being disposedparallel to one' an- 'other so that when positioned for use, theirextremities engage the ground and provide four widely separated pointsof support (two on either side of the gun) to insure the longitudinaland lateral stability of the mounting. The extremities of the branchesof these feet may be pointed or pronged and are preferably fitted withhinged vattachments f1 which can be turned'into positions (as indicatedby dotted lines in Fig. 7) where they' will bear upon the surface oftheground when thelegs are extended .and

assistin keeping the structure rigid.

Preferablyv the straight middle portions f2 of the feet f are containedin sleeves or elongated bearings Z4 attached to the lower -ends of thelegs, which not only prevent the 1 feet .from twisting about the axis ofthe saidy legs, but also provide for their being folded inwardly andupwardly against the inner sides of the legs, so that when the mountingis closed or collapsed and the legs are folded against the sides of thegas-lever case,-the

feet will also lie against the case sides, in substantiallythe sameplane as the said legs,

as shown in Fig. By then temporarily (i. A mounting of lthe characterspccicd for- Colt-type automaticl or gasoperated guns7 comprising a caseor box adapted to be fixed-underneath the front or gas-lever end of thegun, so as to inclose the gaslever; and a stand for supporting-said gunembodying' a system of folding and laterally-extending legs from whichsaid case is suspended and with' which it has a uni-l versal connection.thereby to provide for traversing, elevation and depression of the gun.

7. A mounting of the character specified for Colttype automatic orgas-operated guns,` comprisln a case or box adapted to be fixed beneaththe front or gas-lever end of the gun, so as to inclose the gas-lever,and provided with a cross-piece having a rotatable connection thereto;and a stand for supporting said gun embodying a system of legs fromwhose upper Vends said cross-piece is suspended, said leg ends havingcompound pivotal connections with the ends of the cross-piece; wherebytraversing, elevation and depression of the gun are permitted.

8. A mounting of the character specified for Colt-type automatic orgas-operated guns, comprising a case or box adapted to be fixed beneaththe front or gas-lever end and provided at its opposite sides withkeepers; and a stand for supporting said gun, embodying a system oflaterally-ex tending legs from which said case is pivotally suspended,feet pivoted to the lower ends of said legs, said legs and feet adaptedto be folded against the sides of the case, and catches carried by'saidlegs for engagement with said keepers to hold said legs and feet infolded position.

10. A mounting of the character specied for Colt-type automatic orgas-operated guns, comprising a case or box adapted to `be fixed beneaththe front or gas-lever end of the gun, so as to inclose the gas-lever;and a stand for supporting said gun, embodying a system oflaterally-extending legs from which said case is pivotally suspended,feet pivoted to the lower end of said legs and feet adapted to be foldedagainst the sides of the case, means for retaining the same in foldedposition, and springs for automatically extending saidy legs and feet befixed beneath thewfront or gas-lever end.l

of the gun, so as to inclose the gas-lever; and provided at its oppositesides with keepers; a stand for supporting s'aidgun, embodying a systemof laterally-extending legs from which said case is pivotally suspended,feet pivoted .to the lower ends of said legs, said legs and feet adaptedto be folded against the sides of the case, and catches carried by saidlegs for engagement with said keepers to hold said legs and feet infolded position, and springs for automatically extending said legs andfeet when said catches are disengaged.

12. A mounting of the character specified for Colt-type automatic orgas-operated guns, comprising a case or box adapted to l be fixedbeneath the front or gas-lever end of the gun, so as to inclose thevgas-lever; and rva stand for supporting said gun, embodying a system oflegs from which said case is suspended, said legs having invertedU-shaped feet connected to their lower ends, to steady the gun againstfiring shocks.

18. A mounting of the character specified for Colt-type automatic orgas-operated guns, comprising a case or box adapted to be fixed beneaththe front or gas-lever end of the gun, so as to inclose the gas-lever;and a stand for supporting said gun, embodying a. system of legs fromwhich said. case is pivotally suspended, U-shaped feet pivoted to thelower ends of said legs, to steady the gun against ring shocks, saidfeet being foldable upwardly into inoperative position against the sidesof the case, and springs for simultaneously moving said legs outwardlyand said feet downwardly into operative position.

14. A mounting of the character specified for Colt-type automatic orgas-operated guns, comprising la case or box adapted to be fixedunderneath the front or gas-lever end of the gun, so as to inclose thegas-lever, said case provided at its top with a turn-table and with across-piece secured thereto and having up-turned ends; and a stand forsupporting said gun, embodying a system of legs from whose upper endssaid cross-piece is suspended, said leg ends having compound pivotalconnections with ,the upturned ends of the cross-piece.

15. A mounting of the character specified for Colt-type automaticorgas-operated guns, comprising a case or box adapted to be fixedunderneath the front or gas-lever end of the gun, so as to inclose thegas-lever, said case provided at its top with a turntable and with across-piece, said cross-piece

